


Trading Stories

by diceysmiles



Category: Ten Count
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Comfort, Eventual Romance, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Online Friendship, Online Romance, Writers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 03:46:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10403157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diceysmiles/pseuds/diceysmiles
Summary: Shirotani Tadaomi has been a part of a writing group online where he feels more like himself than he does in real life. His marriage is falling apart and he feels closed in. His writing sets him free. And his friendship with Kurose helps him understand what real love is supposed to feel like. Between trading stories, friendly conversations, and hot dreams there is the making of a best-seller.





	

_Kurose felt a gaze on him and although that wasn’t out of the ordinary, this particular gaze felt intense. He looked around for the source to see a guy close to his own age staring right at him. Kurose kept his expression blank even though he felt smug about the way the dirty blond was looking at him. The blond was handsome and had piercing honey brown eyes._

_As the two passed each other up, Shirotani completely stopped climbing the steps and followed Kurose with his eyes. Shirotani didn't turn around even after Kurose had completely passed him up and he ended up staring at Kurose’s back._

_“Are you okay?” Mikami said concerned forcing Shirotani out of his daze. “You're completely spaced out.”_

_“Did you see him?” Shirotani said sounding amazed as he looked at his friend._

_“Um, sure...” Mikami said with a shrug._

_“His eyes...” Shirotani said and turned back around._

_Kurose was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his back to him._

_“His eyes were absolutely beautiful,” Shirotani said finishing his thought clearly wonderstruck._

_Mikami chuckled and reached to grab Shirotani’s arm. He began pulling Shirotani up the remaining steps. Shirotani numbly followed even though his eyes were still glancing back._

_“I guess so; they do stand out,” Mikami said remembering the light blue eyes that contrasted with the black hair. But he wasn’t sure what had Shirotani all worked up._

_“Stand out?” Shirotani said when Mikami’s voice seemed to bring him back to the reality again._

_When Kurose heard what Shirotani said, he had turned around to look at the blond. He wasn’t surprised to see that Shirotani was still looking in his direction. But what did surprise him was that Shirotani was in fact only looking at his eyes. Kurose didn't know what to make of that._

_A brunette, who was standing beside Kurose, chuckled. “Of all the things he could be attracted to... But your eyes? Come on!”_

_But Kurose wasn’t listening to this person. He had been transfixed by Shirotani’s gaze. And it aroused something within Kurose’s being that he couldn’t identify. Then he did something he had never done before. He quickly ran up the steps and went up to the blond who was still being dragged along by his friend._

_“Hey,” Kurose said in a low voice catching both Shirotani and Mikami off guard._

_Mikami immediately released his hold on Shirotani to watch Kurose carefully._

_Shirotani turned around and looked at Kurose, swallowing nervously. “Hi.”_

_“So, you really think my eyes are beautiful?”_

_Kurose was smirking. But Shirotani still feeling dazed only nodded numbly. Kurose's smirk turned to a soft smile. He took hold of Shirotani's left arm with his right hand and pulled out a pen. He wrote his name and phone number across Shirotani's arm with his left hand._

_“What's your name?” Kurose asked peering through his bangs at Shirotani before he let go of Shirotani’s arm altogether._

_“Shirotani Tadaomi.”_

_“Well then, Shirotani, when you realize you're not actually dreaming and that I'm real, give me a call. I'll be waiting,” Kurose told him and looked at Shirotani for a beat more. He stifled a laugh before he bounded back downstairs with sure quick steps._

_“Wha—?”_

 

Shirotani saved the document he was working on and switched tabs to go to his Facebook page. He had received a notification of a new message. He had been exchanging messages with Kurose for a few months now. They met in a writing group and Shirotani had shared a little excerpt of something he was working on with the group. Kurose had loved it and sent Shirotani a friend request. After which, they began to exchange messages getting to know one another and exchanging writing tips.

Kurose was working on a heroic fantasy story and had asked Shirotani to read what he had so far. Kurose was impressed by Shirotani’s feedback and sent messages frequently to him to relay what Kurose was thinking about adding next or to tell Shirotani how the story was coming along. Whenever Kurose finished a chapter, he’d email it to Shirotani who was more than happy to read it. And it was the reason Kurose was messaging him again that morning.

 

_Now, I know you're busy, but I have a favor to ask._

_The latest story for_ _Minoru has me stumped. I know_

_(sorta) what I want to happen, but I can't_ _make it_

_happen. I don't trust anyone else to take a look at it to_

_maybe brain_ _storm with me to make it work and i was_

_wondering if you had the time to_ _take a look at it to_

_see if you could find out how to make it work from what_

_i_ _have written so far or to possibly see if something else_

_would work better._ _Let me know._

 

_No, never too busy to help out with a story. Send it over_

_and I'll read it. If I can_   _think of a way to 'make it_ _work'_

_for you, I’ll be sure to let you know._

 

Kurose sent an email with the attached document right away.

 _  
_ _From: Kurose Riku <kurose.riku@tencount.com> _ _  
_ _To: Shirotani Tadaomi_ _  
_ _Subject: Wednesday_   
Sent: Wed, Jun 5, 700 2:30 PM

_Ok, here's my dilemma. It's supposed to end with something of a sacrificial offering. The woman dies and Minoru is carted off in chains, more or less, but I can't figure out how to pull it from my head and add it paper. I am really stuck with this one. It was designed more as a side note for the next story and i want to keep that, but when i started writing it, the words just wouldn't come. Thank you so much Shirotani_

 

 

 _Date: Wed, 5 Jun 700 3:35 PM_ _  
_ _From: tadaomi.shiro@tencount.com_ _  
_ _Subject: Wednesday?? Lol_   
To: kurose.riku@tencount.com

_A side note? Not really sure what you mean by that._

_When I read it, I immediately saw what came next. Not really sure what you saw, or think, other than her being dead and him being carted off. But since you mentioned he was in chains…_

_I immediately pictured Minoru hanging from chains and water being splashed on his face to wake him in time to watch her die. So since I'm not familiar with how sacrifices are done, other than what I've previously read in your story, that's how I see Kikuko, bound on a table and being bled to death. Once Minoru is fully awake and struggling to get out of the chains, the last man he saw —the one who claimed was her father— slices her throat as she's trying to call out to Minoru. Minoru is then so distraught —it doesn't seem like his character to be so but it's what I visualized— that he's easily carried off while the man in the luxurious robes laughs and says… I have no clue. Something to the effect that whatever Kikuko was doing with Minoru had caused her death. Basically putting her sacrifice on Minoru's hands. And then giving a clue to what had become of her sister or says where she is. A hint that leaves the reader with the idea that Minoru will escape and save Kikuko's sister._

_Not really sure if you can work with this, but hopefully it will help and you can finish your story._

 

 _From: Kurose Riku <kurose.riku@tencount.com> _ _  
_ _To: Shirotani Tadaomi_ _  
_ _Subject: It is Wednesday_   
Sent: Wed, Jun 5, 700 5:01 PM

_Okay, good, you're on the same page as me then as to some of the things i had thought about. i like the details and i had totally forgotten about Kikuko's sister. i like that twist too, it gives me something for later to work with. Thank you so much. Ironically it was him waking up and circumstances surrounding it that had me stuck the most._

 

 _Date: Wed, 5 Jun 700 5:34 PM_ _  
_ _From: tadaomi.shiro@tencount.com_ _  
_ _Subject: Yes, it is :)_   
To: kurose.riku@tencount.com

_I'm glad it will serve at least as a re-starting point. But keep in mind that what I came up with isn't very original and is quite predictable. Originality will have to come from you, you know your character best._

_Usually for me, when I'm stuck I talk to my characters. Even if they're not talking I can at least try to visualize an emotion behind their expression. From there I start asking questions, like; why does he feel that way? what could have happened? who or what is more likely to bring that emotion out in him? What has he overcome and how much more can he withstand?_

_Get in your character’s head, questions always help. Even if you can't write down what happened or how, think about writing down the emotions your character is feeling. You're still lacking giving Minoru a voice, all you hear is you as the narrator but his deep thoughts and feelings that tell the reader who he really is aren't being brought up except for the superficial ones._

_Just something for you to think about. :)_

 

Shirotani knew he wouldn’t receive another email or message from Kurose that day. He was either wrapped up in his writing or perhaps talking to someone else from their writing group. It hadn’t escaped Shirotani how close Kurose was with many other people in the group. And if he had to guess, it was more than likely to be the latter since Kurose was the go-to guy when anyone seemed to have a problem. Kurose was a great listener and offered good advice. Something Shirotani knew of first hand. But other than Kurose, Mikami was the only other person Shirotani spoke to from their group frequently and comfortably.

It had always been hard for Shirotani to open up to people. Most of the people he knew were simply his co-workers or acquaintances. He didn’t like to go out and hated speaking over the phone. It simply made him nervous. And speaking to someone in person made him feel like he was on the verge of having a panic attack. He never knew what to say and when the words did come easy, he always felt like it wasn’t him speaking. As if his mouth had a mind of its own and ran off without him. People often said that he was nice; others that he was funny. But Shirotani knew that when they thought he was being funny, they were actually laughing at some weird quirk he had. And that made him feel worse about himself so he tried to avoid those people.

Kurose and Mikami, however, made him feel comfortable and it was easy for him to open up to them. Well, there was always the fact that he didn’t see them face to face. He only spoke to them on Facebook, either through the writing group, messenger, or email. But it was Kurose who he spoke with the most even about personal issues.

But Shirotani had begun to dream about Kurose and he didn’t know what to make of those dreams. All he knew to do was write them down before they plagued him all day. It was what he was doing before Kurose messaged him that day. Once they finished emailing, Shirotani moved the document he had saved to his WIP folder and opened up the current story he was working on. Perhaps he could finish another chapter or two.

**Author's Note:**

> Trying out a new pairing...
> 
> Thoughts?


End file.
